Giants, Wizards and Dwarfs

A story I read long ago still resonates with me. While I do not recall where I read it and I do not recall it exactly, I do remember the gist of it.

A teacher decided to play a game with a rowdy group of elementary students--giants, wizards and dwarfs. The game had lots of running around and a bit of rowdiness. While the game was safe and everyone knew the rules, it was loud.

As the students were all deciding if they were going to be a giant, wizard or dwarf, the teacher felt a little pull at his pant’s leg. He looked down and saw a little girl staring at him with beseeching eyes. She then asked, in a voice that was barely audible, “Where do the princesses stand?”

And of course, the game’s rules had no princesses and no contingencies for princesses. Yet the teacher made a wise decision. He looked at the girl and proclaimed that princesses stand by me, the king. For the rest of the period, the king and the princess happily watched the chaos unfold as they oversaw their kingdom.

I hope in our schools and in our lives we always make room for the princesses. For even if they seem like they do not belong, they do. As a bonus they often bring the wisdom of seeing the kingdom in a new way. Make room for and pay attention to them.